Pre-fab home costs a dollar a day to run

A new housing design could keep electricity and heating costs down to just $1 (66p) per day.

One of the biggest manufacturers of pre-fab homes in the US has created a new super-eco design. Clayton Homes says environmentally conscious homebuyers could be moving into these houses in the next 12 to 18 months.

According to Yahoo! News, the company showed off a 1,000-square-foot prototype at show in Knoxville, Tennessee that was priced around $140,000 (£90,000), fully furnished. The house is prefabricated and customisable, and its green credentials come from both the materials used in its construction and its energy-saving design.

The design includes a V-shaped metal roof, which the company says was inspired by a petrol-station awning – hardly an encouraging reference point for residential architecture. There are practical advantages, though: the roof supports solar panels and acts as a rainwater catchment system.

The house has six-inch thick exterior walls packed with heavy insulation and "low-e", or low emissivity, windows help keep the heat in. Inside, energy-efficient appliances, a tankless water heater, and dual-flush toilets conserve water and power.

Clayton Homes sold about 30,000 manufactured homes last year and, according to Engadget, is hoping that this new design could soon represent about 10 per cent of its business.

The i-house is now ready for order online from the Clayton Homes website, although there is no mention of whether painting it with rainbows and peace signs is an option.